Chapter 3
…You’re just buying time by talking nonsense, aren’t you?
So what’s your goal, huh? To let that Harukawa kid get away while we’re held up by you?
“Is it? Have you considered that I might just be messing with you?”
“You just fit oh-so snugly in the spot meant for me, after all. I can’t say I don’t hold a grudge, Sally-kun the magician ♪”
What are you even talking about…?
Anzu, try looking around! I’ll bet he’s got a phone somewhere he’s using to transmit his voice!
“It also functions as a surveillance device. But I’m not breaking any rules, of course; I just happened to have left my phone there ♪”
Sure, okay. Then I’ll put it in the lost and found in the student council office, so come by later and pick it up.
Huh? Oh, you found the phone, Anzu? You’ve got a good eye ♪
“…Allow me to give you a friendly word of advice: If anyone other than me touches that phone, it will emit a high-voltage current.”
“If you don’t want to get burned, then I suggest keeping your hands off of it.”
Yikes?! Are you for real? Are you okay, Anzu? You just dropped the phone—Did it really let out that current…?
Hey you, Sakasaki! You can’t just do whatever the hell you want!
“Yes, I’m quite aware. I actually applied a chemical to the phone which causes the skin to tingle—But rest assured, it doesn’t really harm the body.”
“By the way, that phone will self-destruct if it hits the floor.”
“You won’t be able to use it to track down my location. Ahaha ♪”
“This is fun, isn’t it? It feels like I’m a deranged criminal, or perhaps a monster ♪”
You… You need to cut it out, got that? Is it really that much fun to make fun of people?!
“Ahaha, it’s so exciting that I’m able to get such a rise out of you.”
“If even I can toy with you like this, then you’ll be no match at all for Rei-nii-san ♪”
“All right then… Sora’s reached a safe spot without any troubles, all according to plan. Let’s do this again somtime, shall we? ♪”
“Bye-bye now~ ♪”
Ah—I can’t hear him anymore! Did the phone seriously get destroyed…?
Dammit! What the hell? Are they just sending us on a wild goose chase here~? If this keeps up, the Vice President’s gonna really give me an earful later!
Do you have a problem with me, Isara?
Nn? That’s… That’s the Vice President? Is that his voice coming from around the corner?
Hmph… I don’t know what happened, but calm down. You should always strive to handle whatever situation arises with poise and serenity. That is, if you consider yourself a member of the student council.
In any case, I came to check on you. I was concerned about all the noise inside the school.
I’d been lying down in the nurse’s office because I wasn’t feeling well, but as I thought, I can’t sleep with all this commotion.
Oh wow, probably ‘cause you ate those beans you hate so much. And from all the work you’ve been doing…
Whoa?!
Yoohoo ♪ You thought I was the Vice President? What a pity, you got Sakasaki Natsume instead.
Huh? But just now, I swear that was the Vice Pres…?
I’ve learned how to do vocal mimicry, though I can’t do it with as much precision as Wataru-nii-san.
But it’s simple enough to dupe you when you’ve lost your cool, and with all this noise around us it’s hard to hear ♪
Wh–what does that even mean…?
No, never mind. This is my chance! Shaking you down for answers will make everything easier—Once I get my hands on you, I’m gonna make you tell us what Sakuma-senpai is planning!
Wow, how violent… But I figured that’s exactly how you would react ♪
Click, Click, Click… ♪
Gwoh?! It got dark all of a sudden—Did the power go out?
No way, did you do something again, Sakasaki?!
Ahaha. In this darkness, you can throw all the beans you want—They’ll never hit.
I’m a magician; I’m not good at hand-to-hand combat. So I needed needed a smoke screen of sorts ♪
This is nothing so fancy as shooting fire, but in the olden days, this is what they called magic.
In modern times, a technique like this can still be used in magic tricks, though.
It isn’t a skill that an idol would ever need, but as they say, you use your skills to survive ♪
Ugh—I can’t see at all, but I can tell your voice is getting farther away! Are you trying to escape, Sakasaki?!
This way, maybe! I’m going after him, Anzu!
Wait up, you dick! Don’t underestimate the student council…!
Ah—There you are~! Hope you like beans…!
Ngh?! How did you know where I was? There’s no way you could have seen anything!
Just what do you take me for? I’m Ritsu’s childhood friend. He’s always sleeping in dark places, so I’m used to playing hide and seek.
You just made your voice sound quieter and pretended to run away, right? And in the meantime, you snuck into an empty classroom and found a hiding place!
If you’re so good at imitating voices, you can do that much, too. I thought it was weird when I didn’t hear any footsteps.
…And didn’t I tell you? Don’t look down on us so much, asshole.